In the training session "Challenges in Software Licensing”, we will first of all try to define what ‘software’ is. Based on this we will identify the different intellectual property rights (IPR) which we can find in software. An important topic will be the comparison of free and open source software (FOSS) with proprietary software. The availability of a lot of code from different sources obliges us to ensure compliance with all source licenses. We will explore various licensing models for software-based innovations and finally we will look into some examples of licensing and spin-off activities.

Sigmar Lampe, Counsel IP and Licensing at the University of Luxembourg's Technology Transfer Office, is in charge of the University’s inventions and its patent portfolio and looks after the licensing process for its inventions and software. During 2015 and 2016 he shared positions between the University’s central administration and the Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust. He qualified as a European patent and trademark attorney and worked in private practice before joining the University in 2011. Although his professional qualification includes the word ‘attorney’, his university background is actually in semiconductor engineering. At the University’s doctoral school he teaches the transversal skills course ‘IP, R&D and Technology Transfer’.

The SnT's Technology Transfer Office (TTO) ensures that we are at the heart of efforts to build a vibrant innovations ecosystem in Luxembourg. The path from research results to commercially-viable solutions is long and challenging; to enable SnT researchers to overcome the many obstacles along the way, the TTO gives would-be entrepreneurs in-depth support, from identifying opportunities and formulating business plans to obtaining funding and securing intellectual property. Over the last two years the TTO has managed a dozen proof of concept projects (in which prototypes are developed), four of which have gone on to be launched as spin-off companies. This approach demonstrates that scientific excellence and socio-economic impact can thrive in tandem.